Why OnShip?
I received an email recently from a prospective client that contained a simple question:
Why OnShip?
Why indeed! There are hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of adequate shipping software products out there, written by hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of what I assume are hard working, intelligent software developers.
Consequently, we are tasked with standing out in a very crowded field, filled with free trials and low-cost subscriptions.
How in the world can we expect to successfully compete in this dog eat dog, buyer controlled marketplace? The simple answer that most software shoppers and buyers don’t consider is this:
“The Devil Is In The Details”
All shipping software creates shipping labels for your customer orders, important legal documents, etc. Some products offer a wide range of carrier “modules” while others only offer one carrier (i.e., “free” carrier software) or limited carriers (i.e., low-cost subscriptions). Regardless of the product you use, every shipper's plan is the same; deliver each package to the correct address, on the correct day, in excellent condition, for the lowest price possible.
Most of the time all goes well, sometimes it doesn’t and the first time you find out is when your high-cost 800 number lights up with an angry customer on the other end or, worse yet, you get a 1 star review that takes years to recover from. Other times you discover “surprise charges” on your carrier bills. These could be related to bad addresses or a variety of other “assessorial” reasons why you need to pay a little more AFTER shipping the package and quoting your customer. It could even be a mistake on the carrier's part. Annoying, right?
Shipping costs are another interesting area to tackle for many businesses. Some businesses offer “free” shipping and wrap shipping costs into the product price. Others set a flat shipping fee that creates regular wins and losses on shipping costs. If you’re doing this now, you are dancing with the devil on every shipment. You need to stop the madness and invest time to seriously consider high-quality, intelligent shipping software, designed to watch out for every precious penny you spend. There are dozens of cheap, unintelligent shipping software products on the market designed to spit out a shipping label, regardless of cost. That’s not what you need, and if you have something like that you are probably already paying for high-quality shipping software in excess shipping costs so it's worth it to look at your options!
I have written many shipping blogs on a variety of topics:
Shipping software shopping tips
Key features checklists to help you make sure you’re getting what you thought you were getting BEFORE you buy
How high-quality carrier auditing helps you manage carrier relationships
And many more
This article ties all that good info together with a list of features included with every OnShip license via our all-inclusive pricing plan. Heck, we even offer flat rate basic ERP/WMS integration quotes up front without all the high-cost back, and forth negotiations you get from “the other guys" and the nickel-dime "add-on" fees after you buy.
Here are the key features we offer at one low price point that out-feature our low-cost competitors and compare quite nicely with overpriced competitors charging 8 to 10 times as much:
FREE Real-Time Parcel and LTL/TL Freight Carrier Auditing BEFORE You Buy:
Sign up for our FREE auditing service to see for yourself, in hard-dollars, how we can help
Easy to understand online dashboard reports broken down across the board
Easily spot trends and key areas of improvement, free of charge. We're here to help!
Multiple Hard-Dollar OnShip ROI Scenarios:
Discounted LTL/TL Freight Rates
Parcel Carrier Mix Analysis and Enhancement
Assessorial Fee Reductions via Real-Time Address Validation & FREE Real-Time Auditing
On-Premise OnShip Software:
Local server installation behind your firewall
Faster shipping vs. “pay-forever”, limited customization's, cloud-based subscriptions
Cloud-Hosted OnShip Software:
Don't want to deal with onsite hardware? No problem!
Private Cloud Server installation to protect your data
No shared data with hundreds or thousands of other businesses
OnShip All-Inclusive Pricing ALWAYS Includes:
Unlimited Users and Shipments
OnShip Request desktop shipping for all employees
Address Verification & Validation
Powerful Shipping Reporting Engine & Report Designer
FedEx, UPS, and LTL Freight Auditing
Low-Cost Shipper Insurance
Dozens of Discounted LTL Carriers
DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS & Regional Parcel Carriers
Flat-Rate Standard Host Integration Service
When To Take a Serious Look at OnShip:
You are outgrowing your “entry-level” cloud-based software
You need easily configurable software that adapts to your workflows and business rules
You want to stop never ending subscription payments
Your current “free” carrier software is costing too much
Does the IRS do your taxes, too?
You need more efficiency, accuracy, and fully integrated shipment processing
You can’t get all orders shipped on the same day
Key Questions To Ask About Your Current Shipping Process:
Do you want your software to auto-rate shop for best rates based on your rules?
Do you ship 50+ parcels per day?
If yes, you’ll love our FREE parcel auditing service!
Do you Ship, Receive or Drop-Ship 1 or more LTL/TL shipments per month?
If yes, you’ll love our FREE national LTL/TL freight discounts and auditing service
Ship Internationally?
If yes, we’ve got the perfect carriers for you!
Do you have custom shipping rules for certain customers?
We can help!
Need lots of shipping stations and have lots of departments or desktop users?
That’s great! OnShip includes unlimited users!
Need consolidated & detailed shipping reports for multiple users, carriers or sites?
Perfect! Our powerful report designer and reporting engine is the perfect fit!
OnShip “Keeps it Simple” With One Low Price for ALL the Key Features You Need to Succeed:
Unlimited Power Users, Casual Users, Workstations, and Shipments
Powerful Shipment Reporting Engine & Designer
Low-cost parcel and freight insurance
Address Validation and Correction
Residential vs. Commercial Address Indicator
Deep Discounts on Dozens of LTL/TL Freight Carriers
DHL, FedEx, UPS & USPS Parcel Carriers
Regional Parcel Carriers
FREE Auditing Services for ALL OnShip customers
If you're looking to upgrade your current software or are wondering if your carrier provided software is really giving you the best rates, you need to make a list of all the requirements you have before meeting with any shipping software vendors. Once done, you will be as prepared as possible to get the quality you deserve and the post-sales live support you need to cost effectively streamline your shipping process. Good luck and good shipping!
